Monday,
21 April 2003
Angus
Celebrates it's Sports Stars
Arbroath
bowler Darren Burnett led the
roll of honour as Angus saluted its sporting stars of 2002.
In
a showcase ceremony at Forfar’s Reid Hall, the former World Indoor
Junior Champion scooped the Angus Sports
Personality of the Year Award to lead the celebration of
sportsmen and women who were singled out for praise in strong
categories.
Through
sparkling performances in world level televised bowls events Darren
has become a familiar face, and his popularity surged thanks to the
expert play which bagged him last year’s Scottish Outdoor Singles
title.
Darren,
of Arbroath and District Indoor and Lochlands Outdoor Bowling Clubs,
pipped a trio of other major achievers to the Angus Council
sponsored blue riband honour at the event.
In
Simon Needham and Lorna
Provan, the Links Archers from Montrose had two club
members highly commended in the category, and the line-up was
completed by curling champion Duncan Clark.
Swimming
coach Stewart Davidson of St
Thomas ASC who was appointed president of the Scottish Amateur
Swimming Association last year, and has only recently been made a
life member in recognition of his 27 years service to the sport won
the Service to Sport Award,
sponsored by Angus College.
Highly
commended finalists were Sandy and Sheila
Beattie of Arbroath Ski Club; John
Myles, East of Scotland Junior FA and Karen
Henderson of Montrose Links Archers.
2002’s
Coach of the Year was Sharon
Pace, head coach of St Thomas Swimming Club who has taken
the outfit to a trio of Midlands Premium Division titles.
Catherine
Donaldson of Forfar’s Phoenix Gymnastics Club; Paul
Elliot, Arbroath United Cricket Club and Colin
Christie, Montrose & District AAC were highly
commended in category, sponsored by Fersina Windows.
The
youngsters of Timmergreens Primary School,
Arbroath won the Team of the Year
accolade for their Kwik Cricket achievements, having scooped both
the Angus and Scottish Kwik Cricket Championships in 2002 before
going on to represent Scotland in the UK event.
Highly
commended finalists in the category, sponsored by Sportack Saddlery
of Montrose were: Under 14 girls team, Monifieth
Athletic AC First Team, Arbroath
United CC and Arbroath
Musketeers Basketball Club Junior Men’s team.
The
Young Sports Personality of the Year
section, sponsored by Radio Tay’s Caring for Kids, this year
attracted 11 nominees from sports as diverse as skating, hockey,
swimming, athletics, golf, squash and football.
The
winner was 17 year old golfer Dawn Dewar,
who has been a Scottish Internationalist at age group level for the
past three years and became the only Scot to qualify for the British
Girls Under 18 Matchplay Championship.
Finalists
in the section were Jaymes Monte
(17), of Dundee Ice Skating Club; St Thomas Swimming Club’s Mairi
Stewart (15) and Lisa Aitken (13)
of the Peter Nicoll Squash & Fitness Centre.
Angus
Disability Sport sponsored the award for Sports
Personality of the year for People with a Disability and
the honour went to Kirsteen Taylor,
who won five gold medals at the British Blind Sport National
Swimming Championships last year and represented Scotland at the
British Junior Swimming Championships for People with a Disability.
Highly
commended finalists were: John
Watt and Wayne Myles,
of Lochlands Adult Resource Centre, Arbroath and George
Gibson of Seals Swimming Club, Montrose.
For
only the second time in the seven-year history of the Angus Sports
Awards the judges decided to award an Angus
Sports Special Recognition Award, in recognition of an
outstanding achievement, commitment or contribution to sport which
for one reason or another was not captured in any of the six main
award categories.
This
year’s judges decided to honour Gary
Clelland of Carnoustie Freestyle
Karate Club, a second dan black belt in freestyle karate,
who in 2002 became the World United Martial Arts Federation Kick
Boxing Champion in Denmark. He
is also currently European Champion.
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